Domestic petroleum resources continue to deplete requiring increasing reliance by the United States on foreign sources. Many users of petroleum such as the electric power sector can change to other fuels such as nuclear, coal or biomass. The transportion sector uses about 25 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. and about three-quarters of the energy consumed in transportation is used by highway vehicles. Fuels used in highway vehicles are almost entirely derived from petroleum. The family passenger automobile is the principal and dominate energy user within the highway vehicle system.
Petroleum fuels are readily refined and converted to automobile use. They are readily transported and stored as liquids or gases. The distribution and sales infrastructure for gasoline, diesel and butane or propane fuels are in place. These fuels are convenient to purchase and enough fuel can be stored on board a family vehicle to provide 200-500 miles of driving between refilling the fuel tank.
One alternative to petroleum is electric propulsion. Electric propulsion can be based on multiple fuel sources. Since batteries can be recharged from any electric outlet, the electric fuel can be generated by means of nuclear, coal, biomass, solar, etc. A battery for a first or only electric family vehicle requires high energy density and a rapid and easily accomplished economical refueling. Present batteries are not capable of providing the desired driving range and refueling is usually accomplished by a slow recharge of the battery.
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